Ginny Sullivan (EL-OTD ’20) and her colleague at the Cleveland Clinic will co-present the keynote address at the AOTA Adult Rehabilitation Specialty Conference later this month. 

Titled, “Occupational Therapy's Role in Hospital-Acquired Delirium: Guidance for Interventions and Case Study Examples,” Sullivan and colleague, Marley Kalata, will highlight the role of occupational therapy in delirium management, including assessments, interventions, and a comprehensive workflow for acute care. 

“Unfortunately, no matter where you work in the hospital, you will always find patients with delirium,” said Sullivan. “Hospital-acquired delirium is the acute and rapid onset of confusion that often happens in the hospital setting and is more common in the ICUs. The toll that delirium can have on an individual's life is devastating. Unmanaged delirium is linked to increased mortality, decreased function, long-term cognitive deficits, and increased financial burden on the healthcare system. The professional consensus is that non-pharmacological approaches should be the first defense to prevent and treat delirium.”

Sullivan says occupational therapy may be the missing link in effective delirium management through non-pharmacological, client-centered techniques, given it’s a holistic profession rooted in mental health, sensory integration, and functional cognition. 

“Occupational therapists are experts at analyzing the personal, environmental, and occupation-based factors limiting one's ability to participate meaningfully and safely in life,” said Sullivan. “This past spring, I took an OTD capstone student who is now my colleague and co-presenter (Kalata). Together, we explored OT's role in delirium management utilizing non-pharmacological interventions. We both learned so much from this experience and are excited to share our knowledge during the keynote address in September. The keynote presentation aims to educate practitioners on what delirium is and how we can be a crucial part of the interdisciplinary team in treating delirium.”

The conference will take place September 13 in Cleveland.